The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of fitted elastic bedsheets or similar seat covers, in which retangular pieces of cloth are cut from a strip of cloth, and the corners are cut off by almost retangular punches, and then in turn two adjacent cut edges are connected by a seam, and in which, thereafter, stretched elastic bands or the like are sewn on or in the suitably folded over edges of the pieces of cloth, in stretched-out state, which in slackened state then draw the cloth together to form folds or wrinkles.
Until this time, fitted elastic bedsheets have been manufactured of textiles or textile-like materials (called nonwoven materials), in a work process which is for the most part manual. In this manual process, the strip of cloth is first of all spread out in stacks with a lengthwise laying mechanism, the stack is then cut through the middle and finally the corners of the cut edges of the two stacks of halves which are formed are cut off by rectangular or almost retangular punches. All other work processes for the manufacture of fitted elastic bedsheets must then be carried out manually. The cut pieces are transported individually to a manual sewing station, at which the two cut edges which are then adjacent to each other are laid flush to each other one after the other in the areas of the cut-out corners of the pieces and sewn together. When the four required seams have been applied in this manner to each piece of cloth, then -from the point of view of dimensions- a box-like configuration of the cloth is already attained.
Thereafter, stretched elastic bands or similar pulling elements are applied to this partially prefabricated fitted elastic bedsheet. This happens at another manual sewing station, to which the partially fabricated fitted elastic bedsheets must be conveyed. At this manual sewing station, the elastic bands in stretched-out state are generally sewn in or onto the edges of the pieces of cloth along both narrow sides of the partially fabricated fitted elastic bedsheets, so that they run a bit further over the relevant corners in the lengthwise side of the relevant fitted elastic bedsheets and in slackened state draw together and wrinkle the material in the area of the corner.
One particular drawback with this method of production is the great manual work required, for which it is to be noted that the aforementioned work processes do not include automatic mechanical finishing of the fitted elastic bedsheets. Also, undesirable conveyance paths are required for the sewn material between the cutting station and the manual sewing station, which also requires relatively great use of space for the intermediate storage.